Crochet

 

Crochet, which comes from the French word for hook, is a type of needlework that consists of a doubly interlooped structure built on a chain foundation. The basic stitch is a simple slip loop, but by varying the number of loops on the hook and how they are integrated with the structure, a plethora of different stitches can be created. Hooks of varying fineness are frequently made of metal, wood, or bone, and cotton, wool, silk, or linen are common threads used. In many countries, both men and women have practiced this versatile, potentially rich, and complex craft. The kufi cap, which is often worn by Muslim men, is perhaps the most common item of crocheted clothing today.

Origins and History

Unlike woven or knitted artifacts, researchers have had a difficult time finding early examples of crochet. Lis Paludan, a textile scholar, has done extensive research into the origins of crochet in Europe but has been unable to document its practice prior to the early 1800s. Crocheted clothing from India, Pakistan, and Guatemala can be found in museum and private collections; non-European crochet traditions appear to be a promising area for future research.

Crochet appears to have developed independently in two very different environments in Europe. This technique, like knitting, was used to make insulating woolen clothing for use in cold climates such as Scandinavia and Scotland, where an early-nineteenth-century version of crochet known as shepherd's knitting was worked with homemade hooks made from spoons or bones. These items became felted as a result of wear or design, providing additional protection against the elements. Simultaneously, in the more leisured environment of the female drawing room, another form of the craft emerged from a much older type of needlework known as tambouring. Tambouring, which is thought to have originated in India, Turkey, and Persia, was done with a very fine hooked needle inserted into fabric stretched over a frame. The next step was to throw away the fabric and do the looped chain stitch "in the air," as it was called in France.

During the nineteenth century, this latter type of crochet developed in Europe and the United States, primarily as a female activity. Crochet patterns for everything from collars, bonnets, scarves, blouses, slippers, and baby wear to fantastical creations like birdcage covers can be found in women's magazines during this time period. Crocheted purses and bags from the second half of the nineteenth century can be found in museum collections. Miser's bags, made with fine colored silks and tiny glass or steel beads, are among the finest. These bags were rounded on both ends or curved on one end and square on the other, with a small opening for coins.

Tunisian crochet patterns began to appear by the middle of the nineteenth century. This was a knitting/crochet hybrid technique that produced a firm, stable structure for clothing such as shawls, waistcoats, and children's dresses. The technique, also known as Afghan stitch, is still practiced in southeastern Europe, suggesting additional geographic avenues for further research into the origins and spread of crochet.

While crochet was a leisure activity, it was also a cottage industry that provided economic relief in rural areas affected by industrialization and displacement. Irish crochet was the most well-known example of this industry, which produced some outstanding examples of crocheted clothing. This fine lacelike form (also known as guipure lace) most likely evolved as a cost-effective alternative to needlepoint lace and bobbin lace. A variety of floral-like motifs were finely crocheted in cotton over thicker threads and joined together with fine mesh to create a lacelike structure that was often extremely intricate and delicate. Hundreds of Irish peasant families survived the potato famine (1845-1850) thanks to Irish crochet. It was organized by upper-class philanthropic women who arranged classes and distribution (via agents) of inexpensive and widely fashionable Irish crochet collars, cuffs, and accessories, as with many cottage industries of the time. Irish crochet's success and spread through international exhibitions led to its practice as an industry in several European countries, including France, Austria, and Italy, and Irish crochet clothing was imported into the United States and Canada.

Crocheted plant holders and hot water bottle covers, often executed in heavy, coarse yarns, were indicative of a foundering creativity where repetition of form was matched by a decline in technical skill during the first half of the twentieth century. However, as one might expect, the craft revival of the late 1960s and early 1970s inspired new experimentation. Fiber artists realized that by crocheting in the round, free-form crocheting rather than rows, and building up three-dimensional forms from the fabric's surface, they could create elaborate wearable sculpture. The growing availability of alternative yarns, as well as the creation of often imaginative and humorous garments, led to a greater appreciation for the art form as a vehicle for self-expression.

At the same time, the conceptual art movement confronted crochet's perceived status as an undervalued women's activity, as well as its accumulated associations with amateurism. Crocheting was radicalized. Robert Kushner, who crocheted clothing for use as performance art, was perhaps its most well-known proponent in this field.

Ready-to-Wear and Couture

Crochet, unlike knitting, has never been fully mechanized. As a result, it has not been a popular construction method for ready-to-wear clothing. Discrete crocheted edging can occasionally be found on the work of fashion designers best known for their knitwear, such as Adolpho. Crochet, on the other hand, has been used to great effect as part of the arsenal of couture techniques. Body Map, a British design team, has used it in a tongue-in-cheek homage to its "homemade" essence. Lainey Keogh, an Irish designer, uses knitting and crochet to celebrate sensual femininity. Crochet has been absorbed into Vivienne Westwood's stable of elaborate embellishment techniques and used with aplomb on her reworkings of historical costume. Jean Paul Gaultier has incorporated knitting and crochet into his designs in ways that both celebrate and subvert traditional patterns.

Crochet is an incredibly adaptable technique, with applications ranging from the most basic utilitarian to haute couture. It has cycled in and out of fashion over the last two centuries, but its potential for creative experimentation has regenerated interest from both amateur and professional designers. Clothing and fashion appear to have enormous mass market potential if they become more mechanized.